Claudia Hampton, dying in a hospital in London, is thinking back over her life. Penelope Lively weaves Claudia's memories with the memories of a daughter and a brother and friends, and spills the story of Claudia's life onto the page in little snippets and bits to create a story that is both clever in its structure and beautifully written. Recommended. Favorite Quote: p. 28 "The cast is assembling; the plot thickens. Mother, Gordon, Sylvia. Jasper. Lisa. Mother will drop out before long, retiring gracefully and with minimum fuss after an illness in 1962. Others, as yet unnamed, will come and go. Some more than others; one above all. In life as in history the unexpected lies waiting, grinning from around corners."
